Washing machine



P. C. FRITZ.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FlLED MAR.3l,1920.

Patented Nov. 14, 1922;.

3 SHEETSSHEEI 1.

P. c'. FRITZ.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31, 1920.

1 ,435,46( Patented Nov. 14, 1922..

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2\ Pl CI WASHINGYMACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31, 1920.

1,435,460. v Patented Nov. 14,1922.

Patented Nov. 14, 1922.

PETER. o. FRITZ, or PHILADELPHIA, Pemsywima WASHING MACHINE-j Application filed March 31, 1920. Serial no. 370,070.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, Pnrnce C. FRITZ, a citizen of the United States, residing. at Philadelphia,- in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Washing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in washing machines, and has for its object to provide an exceedingly simple and eii ective-machine or" this description which when in operation will not only pound the clothes being washed, but by permitting the escape of air from the beaters upon their downward movement will draw water through the clothes by suction, thus subjecting the clothes to a double cleansing action.

A further object of? my invention is to provide for so balancing the beating element and their valve mechanism between the springs as to provide a cushioning action' while making theoperation of the parts positive. I

A further object of my invention isto so construct the heaters that they will have an intensethough notinjurious action upon the clothes for cleanin the same. i i

A; further object 0? my invention is to provide for a step by step revolving of the heaters whereby they .will be brought into contact with the clothes at different points upon each'downward' stroke;

A still further object oi my invention is to provide for the last named: action by a simple and effective mechanism contacting with the actuating pitma-n.

With these ends in view, this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter: set forth and then specifically designated by the claims; 4

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains inayf understand how to make and use the same,

I willdescribe its construction in detail, re-

ferring by numerals to the accompanying drawings forming part of this application, in which Fig. 1, is a plan view of a washing niachine made in accordance with my improvement a portion of the'cover being broken away to show the location of the boaters,

shaft 24, which latter'i's plvote'd'in suitable therein.

Fig. 2, in a side elevation of Fig. 1, a portion'of the machine being broken away and sectioned to show the interior mechanism.

Fig. 3, is an enlarged view of a-porti'on of the machine partly in section and partly i elevatiomto clearly show the construction andoperation thereof. 7,

Fig. 4:,18 an elevation taken at right angles to F i'g; 3, the receptacle being omitted.

v F-ig. 5, is a detail' view of the ratchet mechanlsm tor imparting an intermittent step by step movement ofthe heaters.

Fig. 6, is a detail view of the heaters.

Fig. 7, is an edge view thereof, one of the heaters being in section.

Fig. 8, is a bottom plan viewof Fig. 6.

In carrying out my invention as here embodied 1 representsa receptacle adapted to contain the clothes and water for washing thesame' and may be of any desired shape or size, and this receptacle is sup-' ported byth'e IegsQ-andfrom the underside thereof depends the casing ain which is ournaled a shaft 4i carrying the worm 5 which meshes 'wi'th'the worm wheel 6 secured upon the shaft 7 which lattes projects through .a suitable bearing 8 in the side of the caslng.

The worm wheel (Shes a crank Qpr oj'ecting from one side thereof to which is attached the lower end ofthe pitman 10, the upper end of said pitman terminating in aball head 11 which fi-ts within a suitable socket forine'd within the head 12, said ball" being held in pla'ce'by the sleeve 13 threaded upon said head so to produ'cea bailand socket Ijoint. Y

14; i represents the actuating passes through :thebottoin of the receptacle :1 and also through "thei ratchet wheel- 15,

the hub 16 of said ratchetfwhee'l being journalled. in the bearinglT secured tdthe um derside of't'he receptacle; This actuating rod has a spline groove 18 formed in" the l'owermportion thereof into which fits'the key or-spline 19 so as to cau'selsaid rod-to revolve with the ratchet wheel andyet per-U I mit its .freemovement up and down through f thelatter as will bere'adily understood;-

The revolving of the-ratchet wheel 15 is accomplished by a spring actuated pawl .ZOcarried by the pawl'rod 2'1which in turn is pivoted at 22 to the lever'23: The lever 23 is formed with orsec'u'red to the rock llO bearings carried by the casing 3, and this rock shaft has a depending lever 25 the lower end of which carries a striker pin 26 for the purpose next explained. As the worm gear 6 is revolved in the direction of the arrow marked thereon the pitman will come in contact with the striker pin 26 causing the lower end of the lever 25 to be carried with said pitman through one-half of the revolution of the worm gear thereby actuating the pawl 20 to revolve the ratchet wheel 19 which in turn will revolve the rod 14. The other half of the revolution of the worm gear 6 carrying the pitman in the opposite direction will permit the lever 25 to swing backward thereby permitting the pawl 20 to slide over the teeth of the ratchet in a reversed direction for the further engagement and actuation of said ratchet as will be readily understood.

27 represents a yoke which is adjustably secured upon the actuating rod l lby means of the set screw 28 so that this yoke may be set higher or lower upon said rod, and each of the outer ends of this yoke carries a tubular housing 29 adapted to lit over and slide upon a hub 30. The housings 29 are soldered, brazed, welded or otherwise secured to the yoke 27. The hubs 30 are formed with or secured to the beaters 31., and these beaters are here shown as a pair united by the cross bar 32 in which latter is formed an opening'33. represents a tube which is secured to the bottom of the receptacle 1 through which the actuating rod 14 passes, said tube serving as a support and bearing for said rod in the up and down and rotary movements of the latter, said tube also serving as a guide for the cross bar 32 and passing through the opening 33 in said bar as clearly shown in Fig. 3. In each of the beaters is formed a valve seat 35 against which the valves 36 are adapted to close, and each of these valves is provided with a stem 37 which extends upward through the hubs 38 formed upon the outer ends of the yoke 27, said hubs serving to guide said stems. In lieu of forming the hubs 38 with the yoke 27 they may be made of separate pieces and soldered or welded thereto.

A'spring 39 is coiled around the lower portion of each of the valve stems, the lower end of said springs bearing upon the valves 36 so as to tend to force said valves downward from off their seats, while 7 a springlO is coiled around the upper porthe work to be performed, each of said beaters being shaped in plan the underside thereof being concaved and being provided with longitudinal rib 43 and cross ribs 44 thus making a framework adapted to strike the clothes being washed in such a manner as to effectively loosen the dirt.

therein.

A bearing 45 is formed in the ribs of each of the beaters for the passage of the lower ends of the valve stems 37, thus giving a further guidance to said stems.

From the foregoing description the opera tion of my improvement will be obviously as follows j The actuating rod being reciprocated and rotated as before described by the revolving of the worm gear 6 the beaters will be moved up and down and at the same time rotated intermittently step by step within the receptacle, and this up and down movement of the heaters will cause them to come in violent contact with the clothes placed within the receptacle, and when pressed against said clothes with suflicient force to overcome the tension of the springs 37 said beaters will be arrested in their downward movement while the yoke 27 continues to move downward which will compress the springs 37 sufficiently to overcome the action of the springs -10 thereby forcing the valves 36 from off their seats permitting the escape of the air trapped within the concaves of said beaters which will permit said beaters to become filled with water. As the yoke 2'? begins its upward move ment it will first release the increased tension upon the springs 37 which will permit the springs 40 to close the valves upon their seats thereby trapping the water which has been forced upward into the concaves so that the further upward movement of the yoke carrying with it the beaters will cause said beaters to create a suction upon the clothes drawing water therethrough, thus greatly facilitating the removal of the dirt which has been previously loosened by the pounding action of the beaters. The ratchet mechanism for intermittently revolving the actuating rod 14 is so timed that during a portion of the upward stroke thereof said heaters are given a limited rotary movement which will tend to revolve the clothes within the receptacle since the beaters during this portion of the upward stroke will be in contact with said clothes. This timing of the ratchet mechanism is also so timed as to continue the limited rotary movement of the beaters during a portion of their downward stroke, thus bringing them in a position to contact with the clothes at a different point from their previous point of contact, and a continuation of this process will bring said heaters in contact with all portions of the clothes being washed while at the same time giving the clothes a slight rotary motion within the receptacle which latter will stir up the con-1 tents of the receptacle thereby more effectually accomplishing the process of Washing.

Theouter end of the shaft 4 carries a wheel 48 by which power may be applied to the machine throughra belt fromany suitable source. a

The outer end of the shaft 7 has ai bevel gear 49 which meshes with a corresponding gear 50 upon the lower end of the vertical shaft 51 journalled in suitable bearings 52, and the upper end of this shaft has mounted thereon a sleeve .53 in such manner as to the rolls 57 and 58 of a suitable wringer 59 mounted upon the receptacle 1.

An outletlpipe 60 is provided forud'rawing oi? the water from the. receptacle when the 'washing has been completed.

' actuating rod projecting through the bottom Of course'I do not Wish to be limited to'the exact details of construction as herein shown as these may be varie dlwithin the limits otp I rat-chets ecuredto the'loweriend of the ac tuatinggroch means foractu'ating saiCLratChQf n et, step by step for "revolving the. rod,v and 1 f ["means forleciprocatingtheirod, p v M ntestimony wheroii 11 have hereunto" the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my What I claim as new and useful is 1; In a washing machine oi v the character described, the combination of'a receptacle, an

invention, v

of said receptacle, a stationary tube in" which said rod isuadaptedfto reciprocate andre-f volve, a pair of heaters connectedtogether by a cross-bar, said ba-r.beingfsogmountedm 1 upon said tube as to reciprocate an'drot'ate thereon, a yoke adjustabl'y. attached tothe a actuating rod,-means for reciprocating said -rod, means for intermittently revolving'zthe'f rod, valves for vclosing upon valveseats" formed in thebeaters, valve stems ca'rryingj said valves and extending through the outer ends of the yoke, springs interposed between yoke and said washers.

'2; In a; washing machine of, the character the 'valves and the yoke, washers carried a the; outerfiends of the Valve stems, and T springs interposedbetween the ends of the described, a receptacle, a tube mounted ,in a

said receptacle, a'pair of heaters so mounted upon-said tube'as to-be capable of rotation l' and reciprocation thereon, valves adapted tQclOSejuponvalve seats formed inyth'e beat ers, valves'tems carrying said valves, an actuating rod fitted to slide" and rotatewi thinfly, L the tube, a yoke adjustably attached to the actuating "rod, hubs formed upon thev outer ends of the yoke through which the valve stems'fpass, springs interposed between pthe I valvesand the oi' 'ter endsof the yoke} where i by theyalves may be opened by [the arresting Y L of thefdownjward movement ofathe beaters,"a a 70 'aflixed my: signature. 

